These Grilled Zucchini Pizza Slices have not only been hugely popular on the blog, but they’re perfect to make this time of year when those giant zucchinis seem to spring up overnight in the garden. If you don’t have a huge zucchini to slice for the pizza base, use smaller zucchini sliced lengthwise. This is a great way to fight that pizza craving, and if you use low-fat turkey pepperoni it’s a pretty diet-friendly recipe for a dish that’s loaded with pepperoni and cheese. Or for Keto, use any pepperoni you wish!

Even so, this is only a recipe in the very loosest sense of the word, because anything you like on pizza could be cooked on top of a thick slice of grilled or broiled zucchini. I’m a pepperoni girl, so of course I had to have that, but the topping options are endless here. Admittedly, this is not a pizza in the truest sense of the word, but if you’d like pizza flavors with a “crust” that’s gluten-free, low-glycemic, and low-carb, this is an idea you may end up liking just as much as I did!

I used an over-sized 8-Ball zucchini to make my pizza, but any large zucchini could be used here. You may want to slice it lengthwise if it’s a long zucchini. (I wouldn’t use the enormous zucchinis that are mostly seeds inside.) In an earlier post I shared the types of sauce, pepperoni, and cheese I use to make South Beach Diet Friendly Flatbread Pizza. I do like the Muir Glen Organic Pizza Sauce I used in that recipe, but this time I didn’t want to drive to Whole Foods, so I was pleased to discover that this sauce from my neighborhood grocer also only had 3 grams of sugar per 1/4 cup.

Cut slices of zucchini about 3/4 inch thick, then brush both sides lightly with olive oil. Grill the zucchini slices on one side for about 7-8 minutes, or until there are some grill marks and the zucchini is starting to get tender. (If the slice has one side that’s larger, grill that side first so it’s the top of the pizza.) If you don’t have a grill, this could definitely be cooked under the broiler.

I put about 1 T pizza sauce on the top of each zucchini slice, but the amount will depend on how big your slices of zucchini are. You can heat the sauce if you’d like, but next time I might not bother. (I think Basil Pesto or some type of white sauce would also taste great on this.) Then put other toppings as desired on top of the sauce. I added a pinch of pizza cheese, a few slices of turkey pepperoni, and then a slight sprinkle of additional cheese. (I used to laugh when Emeril said on TV “We’re really cooking here,” but you can see there was no food stylist for this shot. Sorry about the messy photo, but you get the idea.) Then put the topped pizzas back on the grill (or under the broiler) and cook for 7-8 minutes more (or probably less time for broiling.)

Remove pizza from the grill and serve hot! This pizza will be a hit with zucchini-loving adults who like pizza. I’m not sure if kids who were real picky about veggies would eat this, but I’m guessing quite a few kids would like it.

Grilled Zucchini Pizza Slices

Grilled Zucchini Pizza Slices are a healthier option that just might satisfy that pizza craving.

Ingredients:

large zucchini slices, cut 3/4 inch thick (see recipe directions)

olive oil, for lightly brushing both sides of pizza and oiling grill grate

pizza sauce of your choice (I used canned red sauce, but you could also use Basil Pesto or white sauce. Extra sauce can be frozen for later. Choose sauce with the lowest grams of sugar for the South Beach Diet.)

grated cheese (I used a blend of low-fat cheese called “pizza cheese,” but you can use any cheese you’d enjoy on pizza.

pizza toppings of your choice (I used low-fat turkey pepperoni, but you can also use regular pepperoni, sauteed mushrooms, Canadian bacon, cooked sausage, caramelized onions, sliced olives, anchovies, sauteed bell peppers, or any other toppings you’d like on pizza.)

Directions:

Oil the grill grates (I use a bit of oil on a paper towel), then preheat grill to medium-high. (If using a broiler, it should be reheated as well.)

Cut zucchini into thick slices about 3/4 inch thick. (I used 8-Ball zucchini, which made lovely round slices, but you can cut the zucchini into round slices or lengthwise slices, depending on what shape the zucchini is. I wouldn’t use enormous zucchini with large seeds for this recipe.)

Grill the zucchini 7-8 minutes, or until there are some grill marks and it’s starting to be tender.

If the zucchini has a side that’s slightly larger, grill that first so it will be the “top.”

If desired, you can heat the sauce while the zucchini grills. (I did, but next time I might not bother.)

Remove zucchini from the grill, putting them grilled-side up on a cutting board you can use to take them to the kitchen.

Add sauce, cheese, and other toppings as desired. (I spread each slice of zucchini with about 1 T red pizza sauce, then sprinkled each piece with a generous pinch of pizza cheese, added 4-5 slices of turkey pepperoni, and sprinkled over a tiny bit more cheese.)

Put loaded zucchini slices back on the grill and cook 7-8 minutes more with the grill lid closed. (Check them every few minutes to see when the cheese is melted and the toppings are lightly browned, especially if you’re using a broiler. If you have a gas grill where you can regulate the heat, I turned it to high when I put the pizza back on.)

Remove zucchini pizzas from grill and serve hot. (I doubt this would reheat that well, but if anyone has leftovers and tries reheating it I’d love to hear how it works.)

Notes:

This “recipe” is just a guideline, adjust amounts to make as many pizzas as you’d like.

I thought about using grilled zucchini as a base for pizza for a while, but Alea’s Eggplant Pizza Bites at $5 Dinners were what motivated me to try it.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Using grilled zucchini instead of a crust makes Grilled Zucchini Pizza Slices a low-carb pizza option, but you still need to use toppings that aren’t too high in fat if you’re making this for the South Beach Diet. (I talk more about reduced-fat pizza toppings in the recipe for South Beach Diet Friendly Flatbread Pizza.) For other low-carb diets, this would be a great choice, and most low-carb diets would prefer full-fat cheese and pepperoni.

Nutritional Information?
If you want nutritional information for a recipe, I recommend entering the recipe into this nutrition analyzer, which will calculate it for you. Or if you’re a member of Yummly, you can use the Yum button on my site to save the recipe and see the nutritional information there.

135 comments on “Grilled Zucchini Pizza Slices”

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Kalyn, I was wondering if these were made in the oven (broiling them), which side would you put the toppings on? I see that when you grill them you put the toppings on the grilled side, would the oven be the same?

Emm, if using a broiler I'd broil one side for a little shorter time than in the recipe, then turn it over and broil the other side, then put the toppings on one of the broiled sides. I'd watch it carefully in the broiler and maybe not put it too close to the heat when you do the final broiling with the toppings on.

What a super great idea! I think I may make these as hour'dourves for my next party. Maybe use all three, eggplant, zucchini and the yellow squash for variety and color on a tray. How cool is this? Thanks for the great suggestion.

Enjoyed these tonight. Couldn't find 8-ball zucchini, so just used regular zucchini. I sliced them in half and took off a bit on each underside so they would sit on the pan. Since it's winter-time I broiled them… they turned out really yummy! Thank you for sharing your recipe. I will make them again!

Jamie, I can't allow my recipes to be reposted in other places on the web, because that interferes with my google search results. However, you can make the recipe, rewrite it in your own words and share it with your own photos if you credit me as the original source. I also don't mind if you use my photo and share it with a link to the recipe on my site, as long as you don't reprint the recipe.

We made these tonight on the grill and we were pretty disappointed. My gluten free 6 y/o tried to just eat the pepperoni off them and then decided to just eat his potatoes instead. My 10 y/o ate two and asked to not have any more. My 15 y/o ate four but said the taste was too much zucchini and thought maybe if they were super thin they wouldn't dominate. My husband liked them okay but he's pretty easy. 🙂 I ate a few but I don't think I'll make them again. This is a fine idea if you really like the taste of zucchini but if you have a pizza craving it's just not going to do the trick for some folks, I'm afraid.

I made this last night with the abundance of zucchini I had from my garden! Results? 4 out of 6 loved them! My husband and I, my 22 year old daughter, and my 18 month old grandson all thought they were delicious. My 19 year old ate 1, then joined her 14 year old sister (who wouldn't even try it) in making bagel pizzas. I used sharp cheddar cheese on half of them and mozzarella on the other half. Both were delicious! Will make it again (and provide an alternative for those who don't care for that much zucchini!)

Really tasty. Easy cook. I used sliced provlone and just cut it up. Used regular size zucchini. Have enough to lunch tomorrow. Also, l used Wolfgang puck electric indoor grill and it worked fine . Will do this again.